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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

Charlie Byrd

1962

Buy At Rough Trade
Jazz Samba
Album Summary

Jazz Samba is a bossa nova album by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd released by Verve Records in 1962. Jazz Samba signaled the beginning of the bossa nova craze in America. Stan Getz was the featured soloist and the tracks were arranged by Charlie Byrd, who had first heard bossa nova during a tour of Brazil in 1961. Getz and Byrd were accompanied by two bassists: Keter Betts and Joe Byrd, Charlie Byrd's brother who also played guitar. They were joined by two drummers: Buddy Deppenschmidt and Bill Reichenbach. The album was recorded at All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C. on February 13, 1962 and released in April of that year.Two songs, "Desafinado" (Off Key or Out of Tune) and "Samba de Uma Nota Só" (One Note Samba) were composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and were released as singles in the U.S. and Europe. Charlie Byrd wrote one song, "Samba Dees Days", while the rest were by Brazilian composers.Stan Getz won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance of 1963 for "Desafinado", and went on to make many other bossa nova recordings, notably with João Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto and the popular song "The Girl from Ipanema". Robert Dimery included Jazz Samba in his book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The painting on the cover is by Olga Albizu.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.56

Votes

15217

Genres

  • Jazz
  • Samba

Reviews

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Jun 26 2021
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3

This is a tough album to rate. Just considering the jazz scene, this album razzes my berries. Listening to it, I feel like I’m a cool daddy-o who’s got it made in the shade along side my ginchiest gal with a classy chassis. We’re at a club like the Copacabana with a whiskey and a cigar blowing off steam before we burn rubber to the passion pit for a double feature and some backseat bingo. I’m no aficionado here, but I do think Stan Getz is a hip cat on the saxophone. Not to be a wet rag, but I do not consider jazz to be the bee’s knees. I did catch some Z’s while listening to this one (it’s been a long week). We’ll nightingale, here’s my tale: If someone had this album on, I would enjoy hearing it through. And that’s the word from the bird. I’ll put a lid on it now.

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Dec 15 2020
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5

Two American gringoes steal Brazil's music. But they steal it very, very well. 5

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Mar 09 2021
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5

Is it possible for Jon to give a Jazz album fewer than 5 stars? Yes. Is it possible for Jon to give a Samba album fewer than five stars? Yes. Is it possible for Jon to give a BOSSA NOVA album fewer than five stars? No.

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Jan 21 2021
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5

At first seeing 'Jazz' in the album name was a bit intimidating, but this is the kind of jazz you drink coctails to, not the kind which makes your ears bleed...

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Nov 24 2021
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5

Love this album-- excellent for those late spring nights on the patio, when the wind blows through the open windows of the house

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Dec 09 2020
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5

What an absolutely fucking delightful album. I listened to it twice. Exuberant polyphony and phenomenal musicianship from start to finish. Fuck yes

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May 08 2023
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3

On the next…Arrested Development: …Buster, now barred from attending the annual Motherboy dance due to his age, hires a legal team to help him launch class action suit against the Motherboy organization. …Tobias lands a recurring role on TV’s The Bear. …and Michael finds a trove of classified Trump administration documents stashed in the model home.

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Jan 12 2022
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4

Cool, pleasant, and surprisingly accessible for a classic jazz album.

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Jun 26 2021
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3

I would be totally pleased with this album as background music at a nice restaurant, or in a hotel lobby. But casual jazz listening might just not be my thing. Apparently Stan Getz is a saxophone legend. I hadn't heard of him. He has two albums on the list. Some of his jazz influencers and contemporaries, who I had heard of, are not on the list... The musicianship on "Jazz Samba" seems incredibly tight and capable. It's easy to listen to. The guitar complements Getz's sax nicely. But here's the thing - I don't listen to enough jazz or know jazz well enough to judge how good of a jazz album this is. I felt the same way to some extent with Fela Kuti, and likely will with other non-rock albums on the list. Most of my musical knowledge and language comes from rock music (and some hip hop), so it's much harder to judge things from genres I'm not familiar with. Then there is the question of how much of the rating comes from the quality of the music, and how much comes from my enjoyment of it. I can know that something is a brilliant piece of music, but not really dig it. How many stars does that get?

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Jun 26 2021
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5

YES! YES! YES! Va, va, va, va.. FIVE! You know when your husband is gonna try and put the moves on you when he throws this on the record player. I think this is Pepe Le Pew's go to. I'm sure Stan Getz a lotta action with that love horn of his.... mmhmmm. I dig this album and will listen to it before and after sex.

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Jan 13 2021
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4

Relaxing warm smooth Jazz. I like it, but not something I would listen to often. Not very exciting/energetic. Definitely cozy and romantic.

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Feb 24 2021
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5

Easy listening smooth Jazz. Great to work or walk to. Summer vibes

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Jun 07 2021
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5

5.0 - Loved his tropicalia exploration and this one is equally awesome. Classy, warm, sophisticated.

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May 25 2021
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5

The definition of cool. Mellow and exciting. Can never go wrong with Stan Getz.

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Dec 03 2021
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5

What is "bossa nova"? Well it seems that the answer is in this album. The title itself (probably) summarizes it all, "jazz samba"! That's bossa nova, jazz samba. I can see why this album ignited the so-called bossa nova craze. It's chill, it's atmospheric, and it's energetic. The very music that one would hear in some tropical themed restaurant or some pub. What a good introduction to the genre. I enjoyed it a lot, despite my dislike towards jazz in general.

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Feb 17 2021
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5

How is it possible that I did not have this album. Truly a crime. Great -- super mellow and groovy. Sunday morning wake up music.

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Sep 21 2021
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5

Upbeat, good vibe music. Made me want to get up and dance!

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Nov 18 2021
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5

Very nice! Very good background music that makes me want to journey to spain during a coffee break

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Nov 18 2021
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5

This is such a welcoming introduction to Stan Getz, it feels familiar immediately and sets a perfect mood.

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Feb 06 2024
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5

This is a great record. Stan Getz is incredible, amazing tone. The guitar work is sweet too. Rhythms keep the whole thing groovin’

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Jul 06 2024
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5

Stan Getz was the one that brought Samba in the form of Bossa Nova and Samba-Jazz to America and together with Jorge Ben popularized the genre there. And while this record is so important because it was the first that really stuck with the American audience, it isn't my favourite Samba/Bossa Nova album of that time even with my high praise for 'Jazz Samba'. That title goes to Getz' major follow up "Getz/Gilberto" which featured João Gilberto instead of Charlie Byrd. But without "Jazz Samba" and its popularity we would not have gotten that follow up so I absolutely get the decision to include this as well, also because it still is an incredible record. Very pleasent to the ears with a lot of Cool Jazz influence and a wide usage of Byrd's very technical guitar playing as well as the tenor sax from Stan Getz. The rythm section is also very clear and doesn't get drowned out by the melodies. The first track is 'Desafinado' which already showcases a lot of what makes this album good. The smooth transition from the saxophone into the guitar and the salient drums all add to the mix of Cool Jazz and slow dancable Samba. This is in short an incredible song. Following that we get the faster-paced 'Samba Dees Days' that features a vibrant and dreamy sax part as well as a nice change in percussion. Considering that Charlie Byrd was the one that wrote this one, it is interesting that the guitar doesn't really stick out that much. It's still there and works incredibly well but mainly in the background. 'O pato' follows as a nice but not very memorable piece. It is also the shortest song that the album has to offer. It feels way to standard compared to the rest. The album closes its first half with 'Samba triste' and as the title suggests, this is a much slower paced and nearly melancholic song. The guitar part in the middle as well as the outro are absolute highlights. This is such a mellow and warm track to close off the first half. On Side B we are met with 'Samba de uma nota só', the third track with Samba in its name and although it is on the lengthier half of tracks, it is one of the best executed as it slowly builds up with fast paced rythm section, the saxophone that goes into a fast-paced guitar highlight and then slowly fades into a section that only features bass and drums and relieves the slight tension that was build. In the end the saxophone comes back in a very bluesy style. 'É luxo só' follows up with a very mellow duo-dynamic of both main artists. This harmonic interaction makes this arguably the best song on the album. It just flows and makes one of the most enjoyable moments on this whole album. The album closes with 'Baia' the longest song on the album. It feels like a nice "summary" of the album featuring some significant change in the rhythm section, a very impressive guitar part and a slight "echo-y" saxophone. (When I first heard the album I thought it was simply "okay" and gave it a 6/10 on my RYM but with this relisten... damn! this is really great and I have to give 'Getz/Gilberto' a relisten as well to see if it still holds up.) favourites: É luxo só, Desafinado, Baia, Samba triste, Samba de uma nota só least favourites: O pato Rating: light 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

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Oct 21 2024
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5

I haven't yet encountered a jazz album on this list that I don't absolutely love, and this is no exception. Bossa nova is one of my most favourite genres of music. I imagine that this would be classy cocktail bar music, perfect for a Friday night out with your beau. I can only imagine because I am definitely not classy enough to go to a cocktail bar.

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Oct 25 2024
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5

I don't know much about jazz music but I do know that this is the exact kind that I like.

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Oct 25 2024
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5

What a great album to get to enjoy on a Friday morning at work. I don't listen to stuff like this very much but I enjoyed every moment of it.

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Oct 29 2024
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5

DAmn - Getz rocks! put him with Gilberto and a match in heaven. Don't know Jazz/Samba? Listen to this!

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Jun 14 2022
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4

I kind of want to give this a five but while it’s very “cool” “smooth” and “mellow” it never really hit “brilliant” “outstanding” or “awesome”.

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Feb 01 2021
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3

This album is new to me. I have heard of Stan, but never really took the time to explore him. I dig several forms of jazz, but Samba just isn't my thing. However, this listen on a Sunday morning with 7 inches of freshly fallen snow, did give me reason to sample some more of his stuff. Then once I saw there was a "The Essential Stan Getz" album, I have been enjoying him since, and would consider more of his smooth slow stuff a beautiful option in the right time and place.

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Oct 22 2022
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3

It's called Jazz Samba. This album contains Jazz Samba. That's it.

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Dec 04 2020
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5

Voy por la tercera y lo amo. Ya las conozco todas, el sax suena lindo y la grabación increible

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Nov 09 2020
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5

pretty relaxing album, smooooth jazz, smooooooooth samba, smoooooooooooooooooooooth jazz samba. yum yum yum.

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Jan 13 2021
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5

great album, can see if being used for sunday mornings making breakfast!

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Jun 25 2021
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5

This is so freaking classic and so freaking good. I'll take more where that came from.

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Feb 01 2021
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5

Wow, I absolutely loved this album. Transported to another place.

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Feb 03 2021
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5

HELL yeah, man. holy shit, this was so good.

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Mar 05 2021
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5

this is what i play when we cook dinner

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May 22 2021
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5

So elegant and comforting. I really enjoyed this work by the two jazz legends.

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Jan 28 2021
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5

Great Jazz! Not to crazy, not too chill.

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Feb 09 2021
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5

Pure vibez, a shame it's only 33 minutes long!

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Jun 02 2021
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5

I like that bossa sound, love the album

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Jun 21 2021
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5

Exquisite. Transports you away from wherever you are.

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May 21 2021
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5

I imagine this listening to this album playing at a pub while sipping some cocktail. A very unconventional jazz album with some excellent, and calming melodies. As calming as it is, it is one that beckons you to the dance floor in a way that is impossible to resist. This has to be a staple in the Jazz Samba movement.

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Aug 01 2021
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5

I love jazz wth. I will listen to this while doing schoolwork when school starts (s) Favorite songs: Samba Dees Days, Samba Triste, Samba De Uma Nota So, Bahia

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Aug 22 2021
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5

A Stine called classic and highly influential album. Introduced jazz lovers in North America to bossa nova. What more is there to say. 5 🌟

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Sep 09 2021
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5

A Stone cold classic and highly influential album. Introduced jazz lovers in North America to bossa nova. What more is there to say. 5 🌟

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Sep 16 2021
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5

Great stuff. I love a good samba or bassa nova. Listened to this one back-to-back.

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Sep 30 2021
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5

This is brilliant. Never heard it before and loving it.

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Oct 01 2021
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5

Good stuff, very nice to listen to. Would pick it up if I saw it at my record store.

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Nov 09 2021
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5

Reminds me of sitting in a Brazilian steakhouse

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Nov 19 2021
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5

This is the kind of album that soothes your very soul, through it´s beautiful yet baffling music.

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Dec 08 2021
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5

Not a jazz fan myself but this a very smooth record. Relaxing & easy one to follow. Beautiful blend of guitar rhythm , bass and saxophone. Recommended!

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Dec 24 2021
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5

Et ça fait samba cafew cafew carnaval

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Jan 02 2022
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5

Spectacular music. Not one I would have found my way to, so thank you!

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Feb 19 2022
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5

Quem der menos de 5 tem de ser banido

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Mar 08 2022
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5

This one was much better than I expected. Might come back to it

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Nov 18 2021
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5

I love bossa nova, love Getz, love Spanish guitar,… love the album. It’s sexy af.

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May 19 2022
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5

I need more jazz samba in my life

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May 25 2022
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5

10/10. This was like the perfect chill studying music. Was not expecting to like this as much as I did.

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Jul 05 2022
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5

That's my jam... Pure bliss. Highlight: Desafinado

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Jul 08 2022
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5

Sadly this arrived on a rainy day, not the best weather for Jazz Samba, but still great playing. Smooth and mellow to a fault.

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Jul 08 2022
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5

I mean, is this a complete white colonization of samba, or is this jazzy/chilly heaven? Samba/bosa nova is itself a product of colonization! Can a colonial art form be further colonized? Any way, five stars for the chill factor, but I reserve the right to critique and update based on cultural violence.

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Jul 15 2022
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5

Every song in this album is an easy, relaxing listen. Really enjoyed E Luxo So on first listen.

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Jul 14 2022
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5

ну стэн гетц конечьно не оджи боссановер но он круто коллабил с челами типа жильберто... всем кто не в теме рекомендую найти эти траки с вокалом, они очень вайбовые!

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Aug 12 2022
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5

Great! I’ve never given jazz a good listen before!

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Aug 15 2022
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5

Cool textures and rythms are found throughout.

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Aug 24 2022
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5

Felt like I was at a Rom Burgundy concert, and I liked it.

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Aug 30 2022
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5

Reminds me of summer 1954, when I cruised around the Amalfi coast in my convertible Fiat, wooed beautiful Italian women, and did other stuff I completely made up for the purposes of this review.

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Aug 31 2022
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5

Very relaxing and musically full.

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